Chapter 44
Cecilia’s eyes widened.
Perhaps because she was faced with something she hadn’t expected—she couldn’t hide her flustered expression.
Her husband seemed just as taken aback.
Yuri, who rarely opened his eyes so wide as he met her gaze, parted his lips.
“……You’re going out like that?”
“And you’re planning to go out dressed like that yourself?”
He should remember what kind of outfit he’d worn the last time they went out.
Elly, and her husband too—were they trying to tease her?
As she watched the situation with a suspicious look, Yuri spoke again. He even gestured with his hands, struggling earnestly to put his thoughts into proper words.
“Did you… forget why we’re going out today?”
“We said we were going to check on how Tisher’s apprentices are doing.”
Cecilia answered calmly. She believed there was no other possible answer.
“I think I explained before that dressing this way is better if we want to move around freely without drawing attention.”
He’d gone along with her explanation without complaint back then, so there was no reason he’d suddenly be unhappy about changing clothes now.
As she finished speaking, Cecilia tilted her head toward Yuri.
The grand duke murmured, “Ah, the apprentices,” and lifted a hand to roughly scratch his head. The hair he’d carefully styled was quickly mussed, but he didn’t seem to have the presence of mind to care.
‘Is something wrong?’
The deep blue mist resting over his chest wavered uneasily as well.
Letting his hand fall awkwardly, Yuri released a short sigh and continued slowly.
“Right. You did say that.”
Gripping and shaking the stiff collar of his coat with his fingertips, he pressed his lips together tightly. A strange sense of regret seeped from his hand.
“Then I suppose it would be better for me to change and come back out.”
“…Probably?”
After hearing her answer, the grand duke nodded obediently and returned to the castle.
While he was gone, Cecilia poked at the floor with the tip of her shoe, sinking into serious thought. It really was strange. Both how compliant he was, and how unusually dressed up he’d been.
‘Why would he dress up that much for such a short outing?’
It was almost like he was going out with a lover.
Turning over her own words in her mind, Cecilia bit back a smile. A lover.
It was a word that didn’t suit the relationship between her and her husband at all. The very thought of it felt absurdly unnatural.
‘…Still, aren’t we at least fairly good partners now?’
After all, their relationship had improved a great deal compared to the early days of their marriage.
‘And my husband seems to be trying to treat me well, too.’
There were times when he said things so irritating that vivid memories of wanting to pinch young Marco’s mouth resurfaced—
But even those moments hadn’t seemed so bad lately.
Perhaps it was because she’d grown accustomed to her husband, or because affection had taken root. Somehow, that was how it had happened. Like clothes being dampened by a light drizzle without even realizing it.
‘I wish we could keep living like this.’
Even if they couldn’t share a blazing romance, a marriage where they joked around sometimes, argued sometimes, and lived like friends didn’t sound so bad.
Imagining the grand duke courting her passionately like the lovers in romance novels, Cecilia let out a small laugh and shook her head.
“What’s so funny?”
A sulky voice came from behind her.
“Oh, you came back quickly.”
The grand duke, dressed similarly to her and with his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets, strode toward her.
Tall and broad-built, he carried himself well even in shabby clothes. He didn’t look as fierce as his personality suggested.
‘Is it because of the hat?’
Maybe because his intimidating eyes were shaded, making it possible to mistake him for an ordinary passerby. With his striking gaze hidden, he could almost blend in.
In a fairly satisfied mood, Cecilia adjusted his collar and straightened his scarf, smiling brightly.
“Now we actually look like we’re together.”
“Haah……”
Yuri let out a long sigh, as if releasing all the words he’d been holding back, and bowed his head.
She couldn’t say she didn’t feel a little sorry for ruining the effort he’d put into his appearance…
But compared to how awkward it had felt earlier, when even meeting his eyes had been uncomfortable, this felt much easier.
Cecilia drooped her eyebrows apologetically, and as Yuri watched her quietly, he buried his chin deeper into his scarf and muttered,
“It’s fine. This probably is better if we want to move around comfortably.”
“I still feel a bit bad, though. Should I buy you some snacks while we’re out?”
“Am I a child?”
He snapped back sharply, but judging by the color of the mist, he didn’t seem particularly upset.
Shaking his head as if to say it was unnecessary, he jerked his chin toward where the carriage was waiting.
“Enough. Let’s just get going. Haven’t we already wasted too much time getting ready?”
After helping Cecilia into the carriage, Yuri climbed in after her.
The carriage rattled as it set off.
While Cecilia stared out the window to fight off her motion sickness, Yuri sat with his arms crossed, watching his wife.
Of course, he didn’t like having to mess up the appearance he’d carefully put together with his own hands.
‘…Who exactly was she trying to show off to, tying her hair so cutely like that?’
But when he saw his wife’s neatly braided pigtails resting calmly over her chest, even the irritation bubbling up inside him melted away.
‘Did she forget she’s married?’
Maybe it was because she usually wore stuffy dresses that came all the way up to her neck.
For her age, she usually gave off a very mature impression, but dressed simply like this, she looked just like a young girl.
As he looked at her cheeks reddened by the wind, her neatly braided hair, and her hands folded demurely in her lap, Yuri felt his throat go dry and cleared it for no reason.
At the sound, Cecilia’s pale green eyes rolled toward him. A faint trace of concern flickered within them.
“Should I close the curtains?”
“Why? It’s fine. Weren’t you enjoying the view?”
“You coughed.”
“It’s nothing worth worrying about.”
Grumbling, he puffed out his chest as if to prove his robustness.
Still, his mood wasn’t bad. Whenever the duchess paid particular attention to his health, he felt both awkward and strangely tickled.
This time was no different.
After studying his face for a moment, Cecilia relaxed the corners of her lips and turned back toward the window.
For some reason, seeing that made him feel a slight sense of regret—unlike earlier, when he’d been content just watching her.
With an annoyed expression, he pondered how to draw her attention back, and was about to force himself into another exaggerated cough—
“Um, should we get off soon and walk?”
“Isn’t it still far?”
He lowered the fist he’d brought to his mouth and peeked out the window to gauge the distance. As expected, they were still far from reaching the city.
“My chest feels a bit tight. And since I’m wearing comfortable shoes, I thought walking might be okay. If it’s inconvenient for you—”
“No, let’s get off.”
Yuri cut her off immediately.
Naturally, he supported her hand as she climbed down, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“If that was the case, you should’ve said so earlier.”
“My motion sickness wasn’t that bad.”
She smiled awkwardly as she made excuses at his reproach.
Despite her words, her complexion was noticeably brighter than before.
Stretching her arms like she was waking up and twisting her body from side to side, Cecilia suddenly turned toward him.
Watching her warm up with one leg braced, Yuri’s eyebrows tilted.
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. I was just grateful that you agreed to my request.”
She brushed it off and walked a step ahead of him.
Yuri watched her back for a moment, then slowly followed after her.
He failed to notice that Cecilia, lowering her head slightly, had instinctively searched for his hand—and had startled herself when she did.
